A Fitness Lover's Guide To Sweden One Of The World's Healthiest Countries

Swedes takes their fitness seriously, working out more than any country in Europe; and Sweden is regularly named as one of the healthiest—if not the healthiest country—in the world. Here are some of the ways the Swedes are able to stay so fit.

First off, 7 out of 10 Swedes report that they hit the gym or engage in some sort of sporting activity weekly, with just nine percent saying they never do a jot of exercise. And while Swedes are willing to pay to keep fit, they don’t necessarily have to. All over the country there are easily-accessible, well-maintained wooden-outdoor gyms—and plenty of people take advantage of them. Whether they’re out for a run or a bike ride, Swedes often stop along the path and do 15 or 30 minutes of resistance training before carrying on with the cardio.

If outdoor activity isn’t your thing, there are plenty of gyms, yoga studios, swimming halls, and pretty much any other kind of fitness activity around. Most town centres across the country have at least a SATS, one of the most popular gym chains in the country, along with swimming pools, and other fitness centres. In fact, there are municipality-run fitness centres all over Sweden that offer active classes for all ages as well as gyms, pools, and the ubiquitous Swedish sauna.

Another reason Swedes keep so fit is because they’re competitive when it comes to sports. Nearly every kid belongs to some sort of sports team or club, whether that’s footy, swimming, tennis. This mindset continues into adulthood. There are regular races, such as Midnattsloppet, a midnight marathon that snakes through the city, and Lidingöloppet, in which nearly 30 thousand runners take part each year. There’s also the Stockholm TunnelRun (taking people through the subway system) and the fantastic Stockholm Marathon.

Swedes are big on biking. In fact, Malmö has been named one of the 20 most bike friendly cities in the world, and the bike friendliness extends across the country. Biking is so popular that most bigger cities have a bike-sharing program in place as well as plenty of bike paths that facilitate biking.

And finally, don’t forget that while Swedes love their sweets, they generally follow a very healthy diet that is big on fish—particularly salmon—veg, fruit, and nuts. If you get out there and exercise in any way you can and eat like a true Nord, you too can be fit like the Swedes.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.